Their figures were very similar, and their temperaments likewise.
Both possessed such overwhelming might.
It was no wonder people would think that way.
Zhu Qingyu had a few suspicions of her own, but when she thought it over, it seemed impossible.
For one thing, that person had wielded a bow, wrapped in thunder and lightning, like a Heavenly God of Thunder, with an unmatched bearing.
But the Lu Yuan before her wielded a sword. And from the looks of it, his display just now had been due to the power of that sword. It was entirely different; they didn't seem like the same person.
Maybe I'm overthinking it. Zhu Qingyu furrowed her delicate brows.
But whoever he was, the Lu Yuan before her was truly powerful.
Especially the might contained in that sword.
It was downright soul-shaking.
In fact,
almost every Awakened beneath Mount Li Imperial Tomb thought the same.
The shock that single sword strike had given them was simply too profound.
With one blow, more than ten thousand Terracotta Warriors had been wiped out.
That was more than ten times the combined strength of the Five Great Supremes. Did that mean the man wielding this sword surpassed Winged Sky God and the others?
For a time, everyone turned their eyes toward Lu Yuan, their gazes filled with reverence and envy.
Reverence for the strong, envy because of that sword.
Some even showed greed.
But that was all.
The reason was simple.
If they held that sword and revealed their true intentions—or even tried to take it—what would happen to them?
More than ten thousand Terracotta Warriors had been wiped out in an instant. There wasn't a single person here who could withstand that.
"The Great Luo Sword Embryo's sword aura really is impressive. I didn't even activate it, and it already has this much power."
"But it seems that the special substance contained in half the Terracotta Warriors..."
"Still isn't quite enough."
At that moment, Lu Yuan walked onward, deep in thought.
As the sword embryo's master, he could clearly feel that after he cut down the Terracotta Warriors, the special substance was quietly being absorbed. But it still wasn't enough to bring the sword embryo to the point of transformation.
And it seemed to be just a little short.
Unless...
he struck again and destroyed more Terracotta Warriors.
At that thought, Lu Yuan suddenly stopped and looked back at the remaining Terracotta Warriors, raising the sword embryo slightly.
Of course, he knew full well that displaying the sword embryo's power would shake many people.
It might even attract attention and awaken the greed in certain hearts.
But so what?
He wasn't afraid, and he had no need to worry.
"He looks like he's going to keep going."
"Quick, back up! We can't stay here anymore."
"If we get caught in that sword's power, we'll be in serious trouble."
The moment someone saw Lu Yuan turn around, they were overcome with alarm and hurriedly retreated.
That scene from before had been seared into many people's minds. It had been far too powerful.
Now he was about to strike again, targeting the other half of the Terracotta Warriors. The Awakened still on the battlefield immediately realized something was wrong. Knowing they couldn't withstand that kind of power, they hurriedly fled.
The next moment, Northern Emperor, Ice Fairy, Asura, and the others exchanged glances and chose to retreat for the time being.
They had no choice. That sword was powerful and extremely dangerous; they couldn't withstand it head-on.
Even with their bloodlines and strength,
they'd still suffer a terrible calamity.
They also realized that if the man struck and cleared away the Terracotta Warriors, it would save them a great deal of trouble.
Southern Emperor hesitated, staring at the Great Luo Sword Embryo in Lu Yuan's hand, deep in thought.
But in the end, he retreated along with the others.
Winged Sky God, however, remained where he was.
He had pride.
And he had every reason to be proud. He didn't want to step aside when facing Lu Yuan.
The reason was simple: he had already been suppressed twice, and his self-esteem had taken a severe blow.
"Yi." Just then, Zhou Yunqiong spoke from behind him, her voice unusually serious. She signaled for Yi to return and not linger, while looking at Lu Yuan with an utterly solemn expression.
All along, she had thought he was an ordinary person, someone from a different world than hers.
She had believed her impression of Lu Yuan would soon fade completely.
Yet this man had appeared again and again.
And each time,
he had utterly overturned her understanding, making her impression of him grow ever deeper.
But Zhou Yunqiong didn't move. She simply pondered.
Could it be...
that she really had been wrong about him from the start?
On the other side, after hearing her words,
Winged Sky God hesitated briefly, but in the end he chose to leave and return to Zhou Yunqiong's side.
Her words carried great weight. Even he had to consider them seriously and heed her.
"Why?" But after leaving the battlefield, Winged Sky God still asked, his gaze sharp.
"According to the rumors, entering Mount Li Imperial Tomb requires passing many trials."
"Those Terracotta Warriors should only be the first."
Zhou Yunqiong answered coolly.
As a key figure in Wuzhou Group, she knew a great deal.
In fact, Tianshen Technology, Longevity Group, and the others had also studied the imperial tomb for many years. They knew it was no simple place.
Even after passing the first checkpoint, more awaited them. They might as well conserve some strength and make other plans after they had fully entered.
At that moment,
Lu Yuan watched the Awakened steadily leave the battlefield.
Soon, he was the only one left, yet he still stood tall and proud.
The sword embryo in his hand trembled, shimmering with streaks of light as sword intent slowly emerged.
With most of the people already gone from the battlefield, the Terracotta Warrior army turned its spears toward him one by one.
They looked like people, but they weren't alive. They could only identify enemies within a certain area, for the sake of protecting the imperial tomb from harm.
Soon, led by the Terracotta Warrior General, they all turned to face Lu Yuan.
"If that's what you want, then I'll oblige."
When Lu Yuan saw them,
he felt no tension at all. Instead, he was a little excited.
In his eyes, those Terracotta Warriors were nothing but nourishment to spur the Great Luo Sword Embryo's transformation.
He said no more.
The next instant,
Lu Yuan struck.
This time, however, he didn't unleash the sword embryo's full power as he had before. Instead, he held it back.
He wanted to carefully sense how the sword embryo absorbed that special substance.
That way, if he encountered the same situation again in the future,
he could make a judgment at once.
There was another reason, too.
The sword embryo's transformation was like the evolution of all spirits.
Ordinary people might not be able to sense it, but Lu Yuan had fused with the Bodhi Ancient Tree and possessed talent amplified by tens of millions of times. He could feel the change, and it would benefit him.
Clang, clang, clang—
Sword light surged across the sword embryo, circling around him.
Boom, boom, boom—as time passed,
the number of Terracotta Warriors on the battlefield steadily dwindled. In the end, only a third remained.
At that very moment, the sword embryo trembled once more, as if it had reached saturation. It stopped absorbing.
"There wasn't enough time. If I could keep comprehending it, I'd break the fifth shackle."
Lu Yuan shook his head, feeling a little regretful.
Of course,
he had gained some insight. It wouldn't take him long to break the shackle again.
Not far away, everyone watched Lu Yuan.
Some were astonished.
Some gazed at him with admiration.
Others hid their anger.
Lu Yuan's performance had made him the center of attention. No one could ignore him.
One man alone, moving freely through an army of ten thousand.
Every Terracotta Warrior he touched burst apart in an instant, utterly unable to resist.
Even the stronger Terracotta Warrior officers, who gave most Awakened a headache, were no exception.
Yet despite that,
the Terracotta Warriors kept charging at him.
They formed an army of thousands, shaking the earth as they charged, their roars never ceasing.
Any Awakened who witnessed such a scene would have found it daunting and been dragged into a bitter struggle.
But Lu Yuan?
He strode through the vast army with the Great Luo Sword Embryo in hand, sword light surging around him.
He was as relaxed as if he were strolling through his own garden.
His expression was impassive, as though he walked through an empty land.
"The sword embryo is absorbing that special substance. Once it reaches a certain point, it changes, like the spiritual energy of heaven and earth needed for the evolution of all spirits." Lu Yuan sensed it carefully, and his thoughts stirred with understanding.
Spiritual energy of heaven and earth was the formal name for that mysterious force born after the global transformation.
Unnoticed, the fifth Gene Shackles inside him began to loosen as well.
His talent was simply too great. He could easily get to the root of things.
Within his mind,
the golden little figure sat beneath the Bodhi Ancient Tree.
Radiant light coiled around its body, making it look extraordinary.
Boom, boom, boom—
Was this the power of a divine treasure?
From beginning to end, Lu Yuan had kept his hand on the sword. Almost everyone knew it had to be a terrifying divine treasure.
People from factions like Tianshen Technology and Beidou Biology also watched from the sidelines, their eyes fixed on it.
The forces behind them were ancient.
Their ancestors had passed down all sorts of foundations and treasures, among them no shortage of divine treasures.
But the might displayed by the divine sword before them still left them shaken.
"Huh? The Terracotta Warriors don't seem to be coming back to life anymore."
"And look, they've stopped attacking too."
"What's going on?"
Suddenly, someone pointed toward the battlefield and cried out in surprise.
Everyone immediately looked over, and their faces filled with shock.
All the Terracotta Warriors had stopped. They returned to their pits and resumed their original positions. Those that had revived every time they were slain had gone still as well, leaving everyone baffled.
"Have we passed the first trial?" Ice Fairy asked. Her voice was unexpectedly gentle, with none of the chill one might expect.
"Probably. Once the number killed reached two-thirds, it triggered some special mechanism."
Northern Emperor nodded too, his mind just as meticulous as his rugged appearance suggested.
"Perhaps it's because of that sword."
Asura glanced at the blood-red saber in his hand. It was a fine weapon, too.
But now it had been outshone. He regretted that he didn't use a sword.
"Then can we go inside?"
Everyone came to their senses. The Terracotta Warriors had stopped attacking, which meant the path ahead was clear.
But when they looked at Lu Yuan, their expressions were strange. The problem that even the Five Great Supremes couldn't handle had been solved by him alone.
Rumble!
But just then,
the mountain of Mount Li Imperial Tomb began to tremble once more.
Waves of immense pressure descended, while the dragon-shaped essence above them continued to roam.
At the sight of this, everyone kept retreating, their faces filled with terror, afraid something else might happen.
Of course, the danger they imagined never came.
The enormous gateway stood open, and the White Jade Stairs glowed with dazzling rays of light, so bright that no one could keep their eyes open.
When the radiance faded, the stairs vanished. In their place stood a row of small doors.
There were ninety-nine of them, each about three meters tall, all the same size and bronze-colored, identical in every way. They were all standing open, but beyond them was pitch-black darkness, impossible to see through.
"Could it be that the real Mount Li Imperial Tomb lies beyond these doors?"
"Definitely. Otherwise, there's no explaining this."
"So, should we go in?"
Everyone speculated that the doors led to the true resting place of the Ancestral Dragon—and to a place of great fortune.
But some people still hesitated, afraid there might be danger beyond the doors and unwilling to venture in recklessly.
Perhaps only one of the ninety-nine doors led down the right path.
What if they chose wrong and died without a burial place?
So many people fell silent.
Not one person dared to go straight in. They all waited and watched.
"My brothers just died. If we don't go in, didn't we come here for nothing?"
Before long, though, a bold Awakened spoke up.
After saying this, he charged straight ahead. There was indeed no danger along the way. He picked one of the ninety-nine doors and entered.
Everyone watched closely, wanting to see whether anything unusual would happen.
But it didn't take long. Five minutes later—
That door disappeared.
Now only ninety-eight doors remained.
"Not good! The doors disappear automatically after someone enters!"
Someone cried out at the discovery. One fewer door meant one fewer chance.
After hesitating briefly, even more Awakened headed toward the doors. They studied them from top to bottom before going inside. Some entered alone, while many chose the same door, believing it was the right path.
As a result, the doors leading into the depths of Mount Li Imperial Tomb began to dwindle.
Even the great powers could no longer sit still. No matter which path was correct, if they didn't go in, they would have no chance at all. So they, too, decided to enter.
"There are three trials to entering Mount Li Imperial Tomb. This is the first."
"Passing through the doors is the real test. It's ten times harder than what lies outside."
Lu Yuan remained still as he watched, seemingly having cleared the obstacles for everyone.
But in truth, everything was only just beginning.
Otherwise, if the resting place of the Ancestral Dragon had only that one trial, it would be far too simple. There would have been no need for him to plan for so long.
The Great Luo Sword Embryo had also benefited from what had just happened, growing even stronger.
He immediately put the sword embryo away.
He knew that, for a while, the sword embryo would be undergoing a transformation.
Of course, it wouldn't take long.
But just as Lu Yuan was about to set off, heading for a door like the others—
A gentle voice reached him.
"Mr. Lu, which door do you think is the right one?"
It was Ice Fairy. She approached him of her own accord and greeted him with a nod. A smile warmed her face, in stark contrast to the cold aura around her. She continued, "Beidou Biology hopes to work with you and enter Mount Li Imperial Tomb together. What do you say?"
Lu Yuan's performance had been far too eye-catching for anyone to match. It had already caught the attention of certain powers.
But Beidou Biology had clearly reacted quickly, getting ahead of everyone else.
And the one speaking was Ice Fairy, one of the Five Great Supremes.
She was a figurehead.
"Plenty of people have their eyes on that sword of yours, Mr. Lu. Some may try to take it in secret."
Ice Fairy lowered her head and spoke in a low voice, letting him know what was happening.
She also promised that they could keep Lu Yuan safe.
Her intention to win him over was unmistakable.
She was beautiful, with an extraordinary bearing and a special aura about her.
An ordinary man might have at least considered her offer, even if he didn't accept it.
Even Zhou Yunqiong was watching.
"They don't have what it takes."
Lu Yuan simply shook his head. "Besides, I'm used to going it alone. Until next time."
After speaking, he didn't hesitate for a moment. He walked to the doors, chose one, and entered the imperial tomb.
"The people from Tianshen Technology and Chang Sheng Gene have gone in, too." Someone from Beidou Biology stepped up beside Ice Fairy and spoke in a low voice. The person was clearly anxious, because the small bronze doors were steadily disappearing.
Hearing this, Ice Fairy saw that the Southern Emperor, Northern Emperor, and even Winged Sky God had all made their choices.
"Whether or not we find anything valuable in the imperial tomb, keep an eye on Lu Yuan."
She thought for a moment, then added, "He's no ordinary person. We can make a show of goodwill, and when it matters, choose to support him."
Ice Fairy had seen Lu Yuan's clash with Wuzhou Group. She thought it was an opportunity to win him over. As for the sword, Beidou Biology had some divine artifacts of its own; there was no need to be greedy. At the beginning of an age of upheaval, they needed powerful people to join them and expand their influence.
In fact, other powers, including Zhendan Academy, had the same idea.
Lu Yuan had been far too dazzling this time, overshadowing the Five Great Supremes.
In the future—
He might claim a place in the new era. They couldn't afford to ignore a talent like him.
Of course, they would have to wait until after Mount Li Imperial Tomb before making any plans.
With that, she led her people inside as well.
At that moment—
As the small bronze doors continued to disappear—
More and more people could no longer sit still. They began to move, no longer hesitating.
After all, it was far too difficult to pick the right path among ninety-nine doors. They might as well just go in.
At Zhendan Academy, Dean Zheng also led some of the teachers inside. He told Zhu Qingyu and the other students to return and wait for news. No one knew when the people inside would come back out.
Before long, half an hour later, every small bronze door had vanished. The Awakened gathered in front of the imperial tomb had dwindled by ninety-nine percent.
Most had chosen to enter. A few thought it was too dangerous and that staying alive mattered more, so they gave up in the end.
Meanwhile—
Lu Yuan had stepped through one of the doors.
It was pitch-black inside. He couldn't see his hand in front of his face; even he couldn't make out his surroundings. It seemed to be a passage leading somewhere.
"Everyone thinks the Ancestral Dragon's resting place lies underground. But who could know that another world lies within? Without the upheaval of heaven and earth, no one would ever discover the true secrets of the imperial tomb."
He murmured to himself, his thoughts returning to his previous life.
In truth—
The real imperial tomb lay in another world. It could be thought of as folded space, which would only emerge after the upheaval.
Behind each door was a separate space, with no interference between them.
More importantly—
All ninety-nine doors led the right way. It didn't matter which one you chose.
Each held a minor fortune, and obtaining it would bring different benefits.
Of course, this process came at a bloody price. Many people would even lose their lives.
It was a fitting punishment for those who trespassed in the imperial tomb.
However, getting to the ultimate destination—
Wasn't so simple.
A key was required.
More importantly, there was only one chance. If you missed it, you would have missed it forever.
So—
Lu Yuan could choose any door he liked. It was all the same to him.
The key to the ultimate destination of Mount Li Imperial Tomb was already in his hands.
He shook his head.
He stopped thinking about it, took a deep breath, and slowly walked forward.
At last, the darkness in the passage seemed to be reaching its end. A patch of white light lay in the distance.
Without hesitation—
Lu Yuan stepped inside!
Before you continue